Probiotics for Clostridium Difficile Infection in Older Adults (PICO)

This study has been completed.

Sponsor:

University of Wisconsin, Madison

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:

NCT01680874

First Posted: September 7, 2012

Last Update Posted: December 3, 2015

The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government.
Read our disclaimer for details.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a probiotic, when used together with standard treatment, is effective in reducing duration of symptoms and preventing recurrence of infection in older adults with a first episode of C. difficile infection.

The intervention will consist of the subject taking the study medication once a day for 4 weeks. During hospitalization, patients will be followed daily for diarrhea history, record of concomitant medications, adverse effects (AEs), and their response to treatment using a stool diary. Upon discharge from the hospital, patients will be contacted through weekly phone calls to assess diarrhea history, record of concomitant medications, adverse effects (AEs), and their response to treatment using a stool diary. At weeks 4 and 8, a stool sample will be collected, and the stool diary will be reviewed.

Other Names:

Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM®

Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37

Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07

Bifidobacterium lactis Bl-04

ATCC 700396

ATCC SD5275

ATCC SD5220

ATCC SD5219

Placebo Comparator: Placebo

A placebo will be taken orally, once a day, for 4 weeks.

Dietary Supplement: Placebo

The intervention will consist of the subject taking the placebo once a day for 4 weeks. day for 4 weeks. During hospitalization, patients will be followed daily for diarrhea history, record of concomitant medications, adverse effects (AEs), and their response to treatment using a stool diary. Upon discharge from the hospital, patients will be contacted through weekly phone calls to assess diarrhea history, record of concomitant medications, adverse effects (AEs), and their response to treatment using a stool diary. At weeks 4 and 8, a stool sample will be collected, and the stool diary will be reviewed.

Detailed Description:

Probiotics are live microorganisms that are available over the counter, widely used as dietary supplements or nutritional foods, and represent a low-cost, well tolerated, safe, non-antibiotic based strategy that may have efficacy as adjunctive treatment of infections without the attendant risks of promoting antimicrobial resistance. Certain probiotics have demonstrated inhibition of adherence of pathogenic bacteria and stimulation of systemic immune functions, possibly enhancing the body's ability to eradicate C. difficile in the gastrointestinal tract. However, limited data is available on the efficacy of probiotics for ameliorating C. difficile symptoms and reducing recurrence of C. difficile infection (CDI). The investigators propose a pilot randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in older adult inpatients with a first episode of CDI to evaluate the efficacy of a probiotic combination, in conjunction with standard treatment, for reducing duration of diarrhea and recurrence of CDI.

Eligibility

Information from the National Library of Medicine

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Adult of either gender, 18 years or older with a first episode of C. difficile infection

Meets the case definition of C. difficile infection—diarrhea associated with a positive stool test for C. difficile toxin(s) in the 2 days prior to enrollment treated with metronidazole or vancomycin